Kids v cars: taking back play space on British streets

[@URBeingLiedTo]

Take kids to a park to play, or to local woods, or on day trips. Are these parents seriously pretending they're incapable of nurturing their own children? This is just another veiled anti-car measure.

[@gerry343]

Take a look at The Netherlands, they have residential areas where cars have access but people have the priority. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf

[@aedt3]

Why would you let you kids play near a goddamn road? Take them to the park or skatepark

[@Troy-ol5fk]

It used to be fun to be a kid without all the iPad and game consoles

[@redlightmax]

6:33 "PLAYING OF BALL GAMES PROHIBITED"? WTF, this looks like something you'd see in a dystopian film.

[@Tspeedy2024]

You only see these signs on estates, they have them up so no one damages windows ect. It not inforced so the signs mean nothing

[@AcidOllie]

I've always said that it's those signs that are the reason England never win any football tournaments. If kids were allowed to play ball games wherever they wanted like in Brazil they would end up much better at the game when they get older.

[@glassowlie]

I've seen this sign in my street.

[@Townsley]

@@AcidOllie so you would want a football coming through your window?

[@andrephx90]

@@Townsley So are you telling me you never accidentally kicked a ball onto a window? Meh childhood, imo.

[@twnfaem]

In my city (Leuven, Flanders, Belgium) this is quite a common thing 'play street' - props to the local govt for supporting this initiative! Go kids!

[@upendasana7857]

Playing out in the street was an intrinsic part of my childhood,the first thing we did when we got home from school,weekends and school holidays spent playing in the street and up at local rec and about 3 mile radius which was our play ground.But then that wasn't a city centre but I do wonder what that surburban road is like now and if kids still play out and are cycling,rollerskating.There would be a car that every now and then you made your way for and let them pass and then you'd all be back on the road again. I do wonder wth most children do now after school and whether they just stay inside after school.I live in an area with a beach and I hardly see them play out in groups like we use to,everyone seems so much more isolated and families seem to keep to themselves more.

[@aedt3]

This is probably gonna encourage kids to run out on the road

[@notbaltic280]

I suggest you try to wean those children off social media. In the end children require role models for their children. I realise that childcare is increasingly devolved to gvt via social care or schools. Are these in a position to provide role models? After decades of laws and regulations that ensure health and safety. Those responsible for raising children are risk averse. Unfortunately, this is an outcome. It will take more than removing cars from streets. It will take an alteration in prevailing mindsets.

[@count69]

Protect our children.

[@DarthVader0001]

Roads are for cars, not children.

[@nataliekhanyola5669]

Streets, neighbourhoods and cities are for people, not cars!

[@aedt3]

@@nataliekhanyola5669and roads are for cars

[@Mgameing123]

@@aedt3 And the kids were playing on streets so its fine. :D

[@aedt3]

@@Mgameing123 don’t be surprised if one gets hit then🤷🏾‍♂️

[@MotherDanu]

I don't remember the Roman empire having cars.

[@abdul-qf2fe]

"Playing out "association's initiative is something that can only be applauded,caring about children's happiness , and their appeasement is essential 😎👌

[@hjordistorfa]

Remeber that young children can NOT judge the distans correctly.. it's devastating how little parents know.. but I totally agree with the idé of Closing down the traffic in the Streets.. lets say in the middle of the day between 14.oo to 16.00 so the little ones can come out to play safely..if this get's to be a regular event everyone involved will Respect that.. I hope.. Best of luck & Be safe everyone 💕✌️😏💕

[@JustinSmith-kn9ef]

It'd intrinsic working class never middle class as you should be aware

[@jimcourt9164]

Errrrr parks !!!

[@TalwinderDhillonTravels]

They keep talking about how kids are isolated, depressed and unhealthy as if adults are doing phenomenal. Car culture hurts everyone. Also things like this has nothing to do with government at highest level, this is your local politics, get out and talk to your neighbours, organize and go to your city council meetings. And most importantly try to minimize car use yourself.

[@jimcourt9164]

Bristol … nuff said

[@yungjoemighty879]

if you're the kind of person who shouts at cyclists, or owns a 4x4 in a city, drives over the speed limit, or angrily opposes low emission zones - *you are the problem and you don't care about children's safety*

[@Townsley]

Nah maybe just keep children out of my ways, simple.

[@soccerguy325]

Lol there are literally poor people who can barely manage to pay their bills in a cost of living crisis, and now, because they've had the same car for 20 years, have to pay thousands of pounds a year for ULEZ. Opposing that because you can barely afford to pay the rent does not make you part of the problem. Have some empathy for your fellow citizens and think again.

[@peter_meyer]

Conservatives will just call it "woke" and ignore it.

[@johnlennox-pe2nq]

i live in Bristol all the houses in Easton have back gardens .....and guess what, probably they all have cable tv installed... with Disney and cartoon tv.... plus the kids have their gaming stations and laptops;

[@MartFish]

Maybe we should stop Sunday trading and deliveries there’s just so much need for vehicle access at the weekends now :(

[@susanb4816]

Have massive car parks and make residential streets car free. Would do drivers good to walk

[@Mgameing123]

And also defeat the argument of "cars can take me to my frontdoor!"

[@lornahiggs1846]

😅😅😅'" try a different patient/ bye bye😅😅😅😅

[@lornahiggs1846]

Yes big change for children to play 8n 5he streets, as alot of older adults will remember themselves being able to play outside.

[@hanneken4026]

Change the planning rules so every home has to have a safely accessible, free little play area for smaller kids within 200 meters, and for older kids (8 -12) within 500 meters, that they can get to safely on their own. Adapt the roads to increase kids' safety, to make this possible, i.e. filtering through-traffic, no parking on footways, slower speeds, level crossings. People already know *how* to do this, so vote for politicians who will *do* this even in the face of opposition from the noisy minority, and support those policies and politicians, letting them know you want this!

[@richardjohnson5529]

Its about time the private car and other road transport was taken down in status, although I am not sure that I would like children playing outside my front door all day. But roads need to be made better for cycling and other more sustainable forms of travel.

[@jannetteberends8730]

I have lived in a Dutch woonerf. Having kids playing outside my front door all the time. It’s not all the time,because kids move, and most of the time they move together. So they were also playing outside my back door.😂 It didn’t bother me, it was actually nice. When I came home from work, there were always children welcoming me for example. They like to have little conversations. And when my dog died the children came to say goodbye to him.

[@ZolaClyde]

@@jannetteberends8730I like it too. It’s not all the time, like you said. And kids make a neighborhood feel alive. (Though I was a child in the ‘70s and ‘80s and kids were allowed to run wild back then going by today’s standards. And I lived in Germany (my mother is German, father - US Naval Officer) and England before my dad was transferred to the States, where running wild was a suburban adventure on a bicycle, no one worried until dinner time.)

[@jimcourt9164]

Every single child in this video will be transitioning within the next few years

[@aethellstan]

what happens if you're driving home and want to park there

[@RickyHarding]

You can see they move the bollards for one person driving into the cul-de-sac who they know at 4:30.

[@aethellstan]

@@RickyHarding ok, i have to admit i didn't get that far.

[@bok..]

This is messed up. Luckily i grew up in an area where the speeds are purposfully limited to allow the play of children. Alot of fond memories I have running around outside racing bikes playing tag. Im glad to see kids still doing this in my neighbourhood.

[@mattvanders]

Is is properly one of the worst ideas I have see, the children don’t look old enough to know the difference between when they can play in the road (with the road closer) and when they can’t. This could lead to more accidents

[@Townsley]

they don;t these are the same children who grow up watching an IPAD 24/7

[@TricaGamer]

Thats what you get building cities for cars and giving 0 fucks about people, the witch is dad tho

[@limefaceille]

One of the ways to do this, is to not build roads directly beside housing, but instead build something more. This way, there will be space for other common activities. Or a a few public area for people to conduct activities.

[@jimcourt9164]

You mean like all those awful estates that were built in the 60s and 70s. A woke town planner policy that had already shown to be a failure

[@janegrassmarket1414]

Perhaps, permanently replace every parked car with car sized planters and trees designed for rainwater harvesting. Install pods for safe cycle parking and even playthings, tables, chairs etc. storage.

[@klang180]

Good video and an initiative I fully support however why does the idea of safer, more pleasant and less polluted streets have to be made under the guise of 'for children'. It's better for all but the minority who drive through all these areas so why can't it just be an initiative for the general good of society rather than solely about children. We need to be more courageous in standing up for what is good for the majority and unafraid to challenge the powerful who want it to remain the same. We shouldn't be having to go to great lengths to justify a reasonable position by using the justification of kids well being specifically.

[@magdas1698]

Brilliant reporting, many thanks, hope this damn government sits up and listens, kudos to those residents👏🤝🤞

[@andyzillla4133]

Great idea if it's for a few hours.

[@RamuKumar-xp4eq]

Ouyryipduo

[@hoobsgroove]

I don't know if you need to close the road off completely not with a cul-de-sac, just put signs up saying kids at play! when entering the road speed 10mph. Make a national thing that on a Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. kids are given the opportunity rights the streets to play on. There's no issue kids going to parks on their own its scaremongering there is no dangerous now then it was in the 60s 70s or 80s I used to go to the park when I was six on my own and that was a mile away. plenty of woods kids can play in, A safe environment. And it's good that kids don't have parents around them either all the time when playing. She definitely knows that young girl how the NHS doctors work, your times up you get out lol

[@uniqloboi9800]

Simple the car wins

[@Townsley]

car goes vroom vroom

[@yungjoemighty879]

you'll probably kill a child with your car one day and it will be your fault

[@anrmlumlwundlistr7620]

It shouldn't be a right, or be normal to be able to drive all the way up to your residence. Designate a parking area for a particular street or neighbourhood, and make the street car free. A road is for traffic, a street is for living. One other thing that is not getting enough attention, is noise pollution, of cars whizzing past your house 24 hours a day. There really is so much wrong with cars, the list is long and government should do more for the wellbeing of the people, and get serious about getting cars out of the living space!

[@public.public]

Give the kids cars.

[@Townsley]

I agree

[@Disco-Terry]

Far to many selfish bastards out there itching to run down a cyclist or a child.

[@007dog1]

After what this outlet said about the movie "Sound of Freedom", I will never hear another thing that comes out the mouth of anything under the name "The Guardian"

[@007dog1]

@dondoodat trust me. I have no problem leaving liars and those who like to hear it.

[@nataliekhanyola5669]

Then go away!

[@Daemonik]

Shutdown of roads because that's how we used to play 40 years ago won't work because it isn't 40 years ago. Take them to the park.

[@bok..]

bad take, kids should have the ability to go outside their house and play. I was able to do this and that safety and freedom really played a positive role in my development.

[@Daemonik]

@@bok.. in an ideal world? Sure. But doing this unreasonably restricts others and / or places both the children and others at risk. "The park" (sub any non-road appropriate location as appropriate) allows them the freedom to explore, develop and play. The road is where cars are. That's what roads are for. It is a dangerous environment, and you cannot realistically just unilaterally shut down your local traffic infrastructure when people need to use it.

[@bok..]

@@Daemonik Where is there any non road alternative in urban areas with the room to roam around I'm just curious as to examples. In which little supervision is required nor requires travel to reach? Historically roads were mixed use and even when cars arrived on the scene they were stoll both used by pedestrians and cars. The only reasonable places that have space are road, as you said in an ideal world open greenspaces would be easily accessible by the public. We don't live in an ideal world and using roads in residential areas just makes sense. It's a fairly recent phenomenon where cars are the only thing allowed on public roads. The automotive industry actually played a huge role in making roads to be ONLY for cars. This was done through lobbying and public campaigns turning roads and streets into places dangerous for anyone not in a car (of course roads still are dangerous even in a vehicle). Alot of these residential areas aren't even high traffic locations, but people feel the need to use vehicles to go places to do anything else but sitting inside ones residence. Of course not all roads or motorways should be for pedestrians. It's just alot more practical and easier to educated drivers that people may use roads for other activities or at certain times there may be more foot traffic and children playing. Right now there is an expectation that vehicles are the only things allowed on roads when that just isn't the case depending on location. If people started to expect people on the road it might downstream makes roads safer for everyone. I just don't think it's fair if everyone contributes for maintenence and upkeep but then you have to have a vehicles to use them.

[@LeafHuntress]

@@Daemonik Thank you for acknowledging that the Netherlands are ideal!(at least compared to the UK) This problem exist in the UK because people & policy makers *allow* it to exist.

[@greenknitter]

So you got to benefit from playing outside your house when you were a child, but pull up the drawbridge and to hell with kids now because this might inconvenience you? Lovely attitude...